SE3 Raises $30 Million Series A for Spatial AI Development

Munich-based SE3 has raised $30 million in Series A funding to further its work on spatial intelligence for autonomous systems. Led by Accel, with participation from Keen Venture Partners, Lakestar, and Seedcamp, the round arrives just five months after the company emerged from stealth. This follow-up to a €5.5 million seed round will support engineering and operational growth, including a new office in the UK and an expanded presence in Germany and Ukraine.

The software addresses a specific hurdle for artificial intelligence: while AI can handle complex knowledge tasks, it often struggles to understand three-dimensional space. SE3’s platform-agnostic technology integrates raw sensor data from various sources, allowing drones and ground vehicles to build a shared 3D map of their surroundings. This is vital in areas where electronic interference disrupts satellite navigation. The technology is already proving its utility in Ukraine, where thousands of systems have been deployed across multiple contracts over the last two years.

The company’s growth is supported by partnerships with the defence firm HENSOLDT and scale-ups like Auterion and ERC System, whose hardware is compatible with SE3’s software. Currently, the system operates on Auterion’s Skynode computers. This model aligns with a shift in European defence procurement toward modularity and interoperability, allowing SE3 to work alongside various manufacturers rather than in competition with them.

While the immediate focus is on defence, the technology has potential applications in logistics and emergency response, where it could improve safety and operational speed. With the EU set to mobilize €800 billion in defence spending by 2030, SE3 is positioned to broaden its market impact. By 2027, the company plans to move into robotics and emergency services, using its spatial intelligence to help define how autonomous systems interact with the physical world.